Louisville Police Simulate School Shooting Response

by scrosby on May 28, 2008

A gunman and two other suspects were on the loose this morning at Liberty High School – part of an active aggressor training simulation for the Louisville Metro Police Department. SWAT, bomb and hostage teams were called in this morning to respond to a shooting at the school, where about 100 volunteers posed as suspects, students and teachers.

LMPD spokesperson Phil Russell says in order to make the simulation as real as possible, officers didn’t know when the incident would occur. He says some officers were even at home, which staggered their arrival times.

“First SWAT units that show up on scene get outfitted with their gear and enter just as if it were the real thing. And so its not as if you’ve got a SWAT team standing back in the corner waiting until they get the call sign to go. It is very dynamic and very real,” said Russell.

Russell says the simulation included one initial fatality that led to the call to police. Some other students were wounded, Russell says the simulated suspects were captured.

He says the police department and school officials will review the simulation and modify training if necessary to prepare for a real emergency.